

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">

<html>
<head>
<script type="text/javascript" src="helpman_topicinit.js"></script>

<title>Create a Timing Message [Enterprise Architect User Guide]</title>

<meta name="keywords" content="Enterprise Architect, Sparx Systems, UML, Create,Create Timing Message,Timing,Timing Message, Create,Message,Message Create On Timing Diagram">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" />
<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" />

<link type="text/css" href="default.css" rel="stylesheet" />
<style type="text/css">
  A, A:Visited
  {
    color: #00F;
  }

  A:Active, A:Hover
  {
    color: #F00;
  }

  OL
  {
    margin: 5px 0 5px 48px;
  }

  UL
  {
    margin-bottom: 3px;
    margin-top: 0;
  }

  #nsr
  {
    background-color: #D4DFFF;
  }

  #nsr A
  {
    text-decoration: none;
  }

  #mainbody
  {
    padding: 8px;
  }

  .p_BodyText
  {
    padding: 5px 0;
  }
</style>



<style type="text/css" media="screen">
  BODY
  {
    background-color: #FFFFFF;
  }

  #nsr
  {
    padding: 6px 6px 0 6px;
    border-bottom: none;
    vertical-align: top;
    z-index: 2;
    visibility: visible;
    left: 0;
    top: 0;
    position: absolute;
  }

  #mainbody
  {
    left: 0;
    top: 0;
    margin: 0;
    position: absolute;
    padding: 10px;
    overflow: auto;
    height: 100%;
    z-index: 1;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    background-position: bottom right;
    background-attachment: fixed;
  }
</style>

<style type="text/css" media="print">
  #nsr
  {
    visibility: none;
  }

  #mainbody
  {
    overflow: visible;
  }
</style>
<script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="nonscroll.js"></script>

</head>
<body scroll="no">

<div id="page">



        <div id="content">
          <div id="content-inner">
          



  
          <div id="nsr">
            <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%">
              <tr valign="top">
                <td align="left">
  


                  <p class="p_Heading1"><span class="f_Heading1">Create a Timing Message</span></p>



  
                </td>
                <td align="right">
                  <a href="introduction.htm" onmouseover="document.images.main.src='button_main_h.gif'" onmouseout="document.images.main.src='button_main.gif'">
                    <img name="main" src="button_main.gif" border=0 alt="Return to Introduction">
                  </a>&nbsp;
    
                  <a href="timingmessage.htm" onmouseover="document.images.prev.src='button_prev_h.gif'" onmouseout="document.images.prev.src='button_prev.gif'">
                    <img name=prev src="button_prev.gif" border=0 alt="Previous page" />
                  </a>&nbsp;
    
    
    
                  <a href="nesting.htm" onmouseover="document.images.next.src='button_next_h.gif'" onmouseout="document.images.next.src='button_next.gif'">
                    <img name=next src="button_next.gif" border=0 alt="Next page" />
                  </a>
    
    
                </td>
              </tr>
            </table>
          </div>
          <div id="mainbody">
  


                <p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">To create a <a href="timingmessage.htm">Message</a> in a <a href="timingdiagram.htm">Timing diagram</a>, at least two Lifeline objects (<a href="state.htm">State</a> or <a href="valuelifeline.htm">Value</a>) must be created first, each with existing transition points. To create a Message between lifelines, follow the steps below:</span></p>
<ol style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 48px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li value=1><span class="f_NumberedList">Click on one of the Lifelines in the Timing diagram.</span></li>
<li value=2><span class="f_NumberedList">Select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Message</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> icon from the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Timing Relationships</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> page of the Enterprise Architect UML </span><span class="f_UIControl">Toolbox </span><span class="f_NumberedList">(</span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">More tools | Timing</span><span class="f_NumberedList">).</span></li>
<li value=3><span class="f_NumberedList">Drag the cursor onto the Lifeline at the point at which the Message originates. The </span><span class="f_UIControl">Timing Message</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> dialog displays. (If not, double-click on the Message.)</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span><br>
<img src="timingmesagedialog.png" width="391" height="416" border="0" alt="TimingMesageDialog"><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ol>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">The dialog consists of a set of transition points. Each transition point can be defined with the following properties:</span></p>
<div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 13px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="border: none; border-spacing:0px; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="142" bgcolor="#e3e6ed" style="width:142px; background-color:#e3e6ed; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tableheader"><span class="f_Tableheader">Property</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" bgcolor="#e3e6ed" style="width:375px; background-color:#e3e6ed; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tableheader"><span class="f_Tableheader">Description</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="142" style="width:142px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Start</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">Defines the lifeline where the message originates.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="142" style="width:142px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">End</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">Defines the lifeline where the message terminates.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">These are set by default when a Message is created by dragging the cursor between two Lifelines.</span></p>
<div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 13px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="border: none; border-spacing:0px; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" bgcolor="#e3e6ed" style="width:143px; background-color:#e3e6ed; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tableheader"><span class="f_Tableheader">Property</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" bgcolor="#e3e6ed" style="width:375px; background-color:#e3e6ed; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tableheader"><span class="f_Tableheader">Description</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Start Time</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">Specifies the start time for a message.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">End Time</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">Specifies the end time for a message.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Name</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">The name of the message.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Time Observation</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">Provides information on the time of a sent message.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Duration Observation</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">Indicates the interval of a Lifeline at a particular state, begun from a message receipt.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Transition To</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">The state in the target Lifeline that the Message points to.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Event</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">The occurring event.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Time Constraint </span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">The time taken to transmit a message.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;">
<td valign="top" width="143" style="width:143px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext" style="font-weight: bold;">Duration Constraint</span></p>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="375" style="width:375px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">Pertains to a lifeline's period at a particular state. The constraint could be instigated by that Lifeline's receipt of a message.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">The following diagram shows the Message configured by the above dialog snapshot.</span></p>
<p class="p_TextIndentedL2"><img src="timingmess.png" width="585" height="389" border="0" alt="TimingMess"></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">See </span><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-style: italic;">UML Superstructure Specification, v2.1.1, figures 14.30 and 14.31, p. 520</span><span class="f_BodyText">.</span></p>
<div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 13px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" border="0" style="border: none; border-spacing:0px;">
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;">
<td valign="bottom" width="955" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:955px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Note:</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="text-align:left;">
<td width="955" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:955px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><p class="p_TiporNoteText"><span class="f_TiporNoteText">You can move the source end of the Message freely along the source timeline. However, the target end (arrow head) must attach to a transition. If you create a new Message and do not give it a target transition, it automatically finds and attaches to the nearest transition. If you move the target end, it drags the transition with it.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>




            </div>
          </div>
        </div>



</div>


</body>
</html>
